Romancing Hermione Granger
by A Touch of the Blues
Summary: AU wherein Harry Potter romances Hermione Granger with a little help from his friends. If you're looking for a silly, fun, Harry/Hermione romance with just a touch of drama then I'd like for you to check this one out. You just might like it.
1. Where One Battle Ends

**Romancing Hermione Granger**

The following multi-chapter story does not take place in canon. Well, I guess no Harry/Hermione romance stories are technically canon, but I'm convinced that Harry and Hermione as a couple makes a whole hell of a lot more sense than Hermione and Ron. For that matter, evidence is lacking (in my opinion) that Ginny/Harry is a legitimate end game either.

Anyway, this is a fun (I hope) AU story as will become pretty obvious fairly early on. If it had to be fit into a canon time period I would say it probably would be the non-existent seventh year. However, it is not canon in any way, shape, or form. My other Harry/Hermione story 'Friends' is unfortunately on hiatus. Why? Let's just say there are some kinks that need to be worked out.

With that, let us begin the tale of how Harry Potter romanced Hermione Granger (with a little help from his friends).

-00-

**Chapter 1, Where One Battle Ends…**

Harry Potter was having a very strange summer. Nary even two weeks ago he had experienced the most momentous event of his life: the defeat and death of Tom Riddle.

The dark lord's surprise attack on the outskirts of Number 4 Privet Drive had caught Harry temporarily by surprise, but after the events at the Department of Mysteries during fifth year Harry was prepared for an attack at any moment. That and the fact that apparently, Dumbledore had been orchestrating this entire affair for months, added to Harry's feelings of confidence even as Riddle and some twenty-five Death Eaters descended on the quiet suburban street.

As soon as Riddle showed his face, more than half of the Order of the Phoenix arrived to engage the stunned Death Eaters who apparently had not anticipated a welcoming committee. Riddle was incensed and launched a flurry of attacks at Harry, who had to duck, dodge, and try his best to block the volley of very deadly blasts. But before Riddle could even begin his second barrage of attacks, backup arrived in the form of Albus Dumbledore.

Dumbledore engaged his former pupil in a furious duel that rivaled the one from the previous year. Flashes of lights and explosions lit up the sleepy drive, sending the terrified inhabitants of the neatly arrayed homes scrambling for cover. The difference between their Department of Mysteries encounter and this one was that in the previous clash only Tom Riddle had been fighting to kill; this time, even Dumbledore was refusing to take prisoners.

The look on Riddle's face when he saw how determined Dumbledore was to end him was priceless. It was as if he was seeing the old man clearly for the very first time. Deciding that Dumbledore had matters well enough in hand, Harry made off to help the other members of the Order.

Bodies were falling in all directions. Every now and then Harry would leap over a black-clad figure and shoot off attacks in defense of the members of the Order. After nearly a half hour of non-stop fighting the tide had firmly turned in the favor of the Order. Reinforcements from the Ministry had arrived and helped to subdue the remaining Death Eaters who had not been killed or in some other way incapacitated. Eventually, only Dumbledore and Riddle remained locked in combat, both men dancing what looked like a perfect ballet of hatred and determination.

The bystanders watched in awe as the two most powerful beings in the world clashed, light versus darkness. Harry listened with rapt attention at the war of words between the two duelists.

"You surprise me Dumbledore!" Riddle sneered. "I never believed you to be a man who would contemplate murder."

Dumbledore smiled grimly. "For it to be murder you would have to be human Tom; something you have not been for a very, very long time."

Riddle parried Dumbledore's most recent strike with some difficulty, the strain of the battle finally beginning to show. He clearly was not used to being engaged in combat for so long. Harry didn't know it but most of the battles Tom Riddle had won had taken less than five minutes of his time. Riddle was not at all prepared for this prolonged conflict with someone has mighty as Dumbledore; for all his power, he possessed practically zero stamina.

As the minutes dragged on Tom Riddle's face began to show some serious concern and frustration. Ancient though he was Dumbledore could not be easily beaten. And each second that passed drained Riddle's waning stamina to its lowest point since his resurrection.

Deciding that retreat might be the best option, Riddle silently cursed the Death Eater who had helped to orchestrate this most recent plot. _I will deal with Snape when I return_, he thought bitterly. Seemingly attuned to his thoughts though, Dumbledore whipped about in a frenzy, pure power and energy radiating from his body. Harry could feel this power coming off him in waves and Riddle seemed to be genuinely frightened at what he was feeling.

"You cannot defeat me Dumbledore!" he snarled. "Even if by some miracle you managed to break my body, I would return once more! I can never die!"

"I assume you are alluding to those certain objects you have placed your trust in to safeguard you from death?" Riddle's eyes bulged at this. "I can assure you that I would never willfully enter into a battle to the death with you without first ensuring that your anchors to immortality had been dealt with. I am afraid that you will soon be very disappointed indeed."

Harry had no idea what Dumbledore was talking about but he seemed to be pretty confident of his impending victory over the dark lord. Harry was slightly confused. He had thought that the prophecy stated that only he could defeat the dark lord. How could Dumbledore do it if that were so?

Suddenly, the enormous form of Fawkes appeared overhead and just as he had done four years ago, he dropped the raggedy old hat that had once belonged to Godric Gryffindor into Harry's hands.

"The Sorting Hat?" Harry mused. "But…why?"

"Harry!" shouted Dumbledore urgently, "put the hat on your head and summon what is rightfully yours! Now!"

Not having to be told twice, Harry jammed the ancient headgear on his head and thought _Please give me what I need._ Thinking more quickly than did his twelve year old self, Harry removed the hat before the sword could knock him senseless. Brandishing the centuries old weapon, Harry called out "What do I do now Professor?"

Riddle eyed Harry's sword with apprehension and mild confusion. This momentary distraction was the only opening Dumbledore needed. Sending an enormous wave of energy out from his own body and into his opponent, Dumbledore fired what he hoped would be the clincher, the attack that immobilized Tom Riddle enough so that he could not block the killing stroke.

Riddle's body absorbed the complete impact of Dumbledore's own life energy. It filled him with a pain the likes of which he had not felt since that cool October night so many years ago. Taking a tumble backwards, he landed hard on his back and remained immobile. The crowd of onlookers gasped; never had they seen the dark lord so visibly damaged.

Dumbledore sank to his knees and shouted "Finish it Harry! He can only die by your hand; you must be the one to kill him!"

Harry stood there dumbfounded. He had never planned for this moment. Even after knowing of the prophecy for a year he had never truly envisioned himself killing the monster who had taken everything from him. Somehow, although he wanted nothing more than Riddle's demise, the prospect of killing another person, even one as twisted as Tom Riddle, repulsed him too much to do anything.

Dumbledore was frantic now. "You must finish it Harry! There is no more time to waste! If you hesitate now we may never get this chance again! Tom Riddle has been less than a man for many years now; it is not the same as cold blooded murder. Only you have the power to destroy him; that is why I am no longer able to attack. It's now or never Harry. Go!"

Steeling himself, Harry noticed Riddle beginning to stir. He had to do this. Time was of the essence and only he could do it. Harry took long strides toward the prone form of his sworn enemy and took in the sight before him. Here lay Tom Riddle. The most evil man in generations. A vicious killer, arrogant bully, heartless monster, and all around evil git. He deserved this outcome.

Raising the sword high above his head, Harry's heart filled with a powerful swell of emotion. He thought of his mother and father. He thought of Sirius Black, Cedric Diggory, Amelia Bones, and all of the untold number of lives that were destroyed by this maniac that lay before him. He thought too of the living. The Weasley family and Hagrid. Professor McGonagall, Remus Lupin, and all the members of the Order. He thought of Dumbledore, who now appeared more desperate than ever just mere feet away. Lastly, he thought of Hermione Granger.

And it was this final thought that sent powerful waves of emotion coursing through Harry's entire body. He might have thought to question just what this emotion was but he knew better. It really wasn't hard. It had been his weapon against Riddle all along.

With a deafening swish, the blade came down and made a clean break of Riddle's head from his shoulders. The headless body convulsed for a moment before shutting down completely.

Harry took in the sight for a moment, aware that absolutely nobody was making a sound. He glanced over at Dumbledore who had a look of astonishment on his face, but who then looked at Harry with such an intense look of pride and respect that Harry just had to grin. Turning around to face the crowd, a mixed company of Ministry officials, Order members, and ordinary folk alike, Harry raised the sword high and shouted "He's dead!"

The tumult that resulted from that announcement was the loudest ever heard on Privet Drive. Scores of people rushed him to hug him, kiss him, wring his hand, and gaze at the decapitated body of the now lifeless Tom Riddle, the man who had so haunted their nightmares for decades.

The Ministry officials were in a state, trying to round up the common people who had witnessed this clash for the ages and wipe their memories of it. Dumbledore approached Harry and very quietly whispered into his ear "You did well Harry. I am so proud of you." The familiar twinkling in his bright blue eyes was there, but he seemed to be exhausted and on the verge of collapse.

"Are you alright, Professor?"

"Actually I'm feeling a tad under the weather at the moment. However, I'm sure a visit to Madam Pomfrey will have me fixed up in a jiffy."

"You were incredible, Professor. I've never seen anyone fight like that."

"And I hope that you will never have to see it again. I confess that I'm afraid that battle will have taken some years off my life. But it was worth it. The world needed to be rid of Tom Riddle. At last we can say, for certain, that he is no more."

Harry grinned again but stopped himself. "Sir, how can we be sure that he's really gone for good this time? I mean, loads of people thought he was dead before…"

Dumbledore nodded. "You're quite right. But the difference between now and then is that I have taken the liberty of eliminating objects that Tom was using as sort of, shall we say 'anchors,' to immortality. It was those anchors that prevented him from dying the last time. Once they were eliminated, there was nothing left to tether him to life anymore. I am certain that he is properly and truly dead."

Harry let out a sigh of relief but wondered what these anchors could possibly be. Dumbledore seemed to know what he was thinking. "I will, of course, fill you in on all the details in the near future. For now, though, I think a visit to the infirmary is in order. I must be along. Perhaps you could do me the honor of apparating me to Hogsmeade?"

"I haven't taken my exam yet sir."

Dumbledore's eyes continued to twinkle, although, with somewhat less luster. "Nevertheless," he said, "I know that you possess the ability. And I think that after what you just did, the Ministry will allow you a bit of leeway."

And so with a muffled pop, Harry and Dumbledore whisked away from Privet Drive to the village of Hogsmeade, where they slowly hobbled off in the direction of the castle.

-00-

The death of Riddle was but the first event that marked Harry's summer vacation as strange. It would by no means be the last.

In the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Privet Drive the media went wild with sensationalistic stories of Harry and Dumbledore's victory. Every newspaper and radio station wanted an interview with the headmaster and the Boy Who Conquered as Harry was now known.

The entire world was celebrating the undeniable death of the evil maniac with the snake face. But it was the reactions of his friends that Harry most appreciated.

After bidding the Dursleys a tense goodbye on the fourth day after the battle, Harry was escorted by Nymphadora Tonks and Alastor Moody to the Burrow where he would be spending the rest of the summer and where the Weasley's had planned for him an enormous party.

As soon as he walked through the door there were shouts of "Surprise!" which sent Moody into near cardiac arrest. Harry was besieged on every side by eager well-wishers from his favorite family, a stunning blonde beauty, as well as a very emotional Hermione. Harry had written to Hermione and Ron as soon as he returned to Privet Drive from taking Dumbledore to Hogwarts but by then they were already aware that something tremendous had happened. Still, he hadn't actually seen either one of them since before the battle.

"Congratulations mate!"

"You're amazing dude!"

"Arthur and I are just so proud of you!"

"I told you that you were a hero!"Harry

Harry grinned widely as he thanked the Weasley's for their hospitality and assured them that, compared to what Dumbledore had gone through, his role in the battle had been fairly subdued. But the Weasley's, Fred and George in particular, were having none of it. They insisted that, for once, Harry sit back and let the world fawn over him.

Harry looked around to see where Hermione had gone off to as she had not yet said anything to him. Harry's eyes found her standing a few feet away next to a slightly amused looking Tonks who was gazing at Harry fondly. Again, Hermione looked to be on the verge of tears. Extricating himself from Ron's long arms, Harry took a few paces toward his best female friend and gave her a warm smile.

"Hey there. Going to join the party?"

Hermione's lips trembled a bit, and then she rushed over and threw her arms around Harry, wrapping him in one of her trademark bone-crushing hugs. Still, Harry had never been the recipient of a hug _this_ enthusiastic, even from Hermione.

"Oh Harry!" she exclaimed. "I'm so proud of you! You're just…such a wonderful person I could…But you gave me such a fright! When I heard that Privet Drive had been attacked my heart almost stopped. And the stories that are going around! Harry you have to tell me the truth about what happened or I'll go crazy! But it _is_ true, right? I mean, he really _is_ gone?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, he's gone. Forever."

Hermione sniffled some more. Harry thought that she looked quite adorable with that pout on her face. Then he kicked himself for thinking that way about his best friend.

"This is so wonderful. But really, how are you feeling? I know this must be awfully stressful for you, all this attention. Are you holding up okay?"

It was for precisely this reason that Harry liked Hermione so much. She was so attuned to his emotions most of the time that it was almost scary. Ron would have been envious of the attention that Harry was receiving right now, encouraging Harry to eat it up while it was still fresh. But Hermione knew, like she always did, how uncomfortable being famous made him. Not only did she not resent Harry for his celebrity status but she also never seemed fazed by it. To her, Harry was just Harry, her best friend.

"I'm doing alright Hermione. Honestly. I'm just glad it's all over. I'm glad I'll never have to worry about him killing people again or hurting the people close to me. I'm glad you'll be safe and never have to go through what we went through last year. But most of all I'm glad that when this school year starts it will be a normal year. For the first time in my life I'll just be a regular guy going to school with his friends. No evil manic, no prophecy, no uncertain destiny lying before me. It's going to be great!"

Hermione smiled a genuine smile at her friend's enthusiasm. After hugging him one more time they both rejoined the party, just as Remus, Kingsley Shackelbolt, and Hagrid arrived.

Remus gave Harry a warm hug filled with very strong admiration and pride. Kingsley clapped him on the shoulder and firmly wrung his hand. Hagrid, of course, just couldn't contain himself and wrapped Harry in an enormous bear hug that nearly crushed his lungs. The house laughed heartily at this as food and drinks were served by Mrs. Weasley and Fleur Delacour, who was set to marry the eldest Weasley son in just a matter of weeks.

As the evening passed Harry began to feel sleepy and started to allow his mind to wander. Shifting his attention away from the conversations that were being had, Harry's eyes once more found Hermione as she sat talking animatedly with Ginny about some topic which he guessed both girls must have found pretty interesting. Both were gesturing quite a bit and seemed absorbed in their conversation.

He wasn't sure what was behind it but he had been thinking of Hermione a lot lately. In the days leading up to the battle Harry often found that his mind wandered to Hermione whenever he experienced a lull in activity. He would often wonder what she was doing or whether or not she and Ron had started dating yet. It was obvious, Harry thought, that the two of them fancied each other and although Harry wasn't sure how he would adjust to the sight of his two best friends snogging all the time, he really wished that they would hurry up and get it over with already. Really, the 'will they or won't they' suspense was getting irritating.

But as Harry racked his brains he found no evidence that Ron and Hermione had started dating yet. They had barely had any contact the entire time he'd been here tonight. Then again, Hermione was already here when Harry arrived. She may have been staying at the Burrow for days before he got here and gotten a lot of the boyfriend/girlfriend stuff out of her system by then.

As he continued to watch Hermione and Ginny's conversation Harry resolved to ask Ron about it tomorrow. He felt more comfortable broaching that subject with another male than a female. Then again, even as the thought of Ron and Hermione's possible romance was taking root in his mind, Harry felt a strange stab of annoyance at that very thought.

He didn't know exactly why he felt that way. And it wasn't an overwhelming feeling either. Still, of all the people to fall in love, Ron and Hermione were the last two he'd have guessed. They were constantly bickering about one thing or another. And honestly, sometimes their arguments became quite nasty with Ron almost always saying something harsh or insensitive about Hermione. Hermione too was highly critical of Ron, certainly far more than she was of Harry.

Hermione was a no-nonsense, hard working, committed student who excelled at her studies because she put hard work and dedication into it. Ron was a slacker who got decent grades because Hermione took pity on him (and Harry too for that matter) and helped them with their schoolwork. Hermione was passionate about liberty for all creatures of intelligence. Ron merely scoffed and told her that she was "mental."

All in all, Harry couldn't think of anyone less suited to Hermione than Ron. Not that he wanted to criticize his best friend, because he really and truly cared for Ron, but if Harry was honest with himself he didn't think that Ron deserved somebody as good as Hermione. It just didn't seem right, he thought, that someone who had put up with both his and Ron's crap for so many years (like Hermione) should be saddled with a boyfriend who almost always complained about her or criticized her for one thing or another (like Ron did).

Harry shook his head. Regardless of what he thought, it wasn't his business. If Hermione and Ron wanted to be together, that was their choice. And technically, Harry had no evidence that they were even together at all right now although any idiot could see that they had danced around each other the entire previous year.

As Harry tried to make sense of these thoughts Ginny and Hermione herself approached him and each took a seat on either side of him.

"What was that look for?" Ginny asked him.

"What look?" asked Harry.

"The look you were just giving us. You were staring over at me and Hermione forever."

"Oh. I was just thinking and must have zoned out. Sorry."

Ginny exchanged a skeptical glance with Hermione who merely shrugged. Ginny wasn't sure what to make of that but she decided to let it go.

"Well you've really outdone yourself this time Harry. If you thought last year was bad I'm afraid you'll really have trouble this year." When Harry looked at her blankly she clarified.

"I mean with girls trying to date you. Last year everybody wanted to hook up with the Chosen One. This year every girl in the school will be salivating at the thought of getting a date with the man who killed You Know Who."

Harry blushed crimson. His sixth year had been filled with one awkward situation after another as scores of girls tried their hand at seducing him. The most extreme case by far had been Romilda Vain who had literally tried to grope Harry's crotch in the middle of the Great Hall at breakfast. Although Harry had taken Luna Lovegood to a party hosted by one of the professors, Harry had entered no romantic relationships at all last year. This year though, Harry knew he would probably have to change that.

Ginny was right. The pressure would definitely be on this year and it was his final year as a Hogwarts student. Each of the boys in his year, even Neville, had managed to have a serious relationship with a girl for at least several weeks. Ron and Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas and Ginny, Seamus Finnegan and Parvati Patil, and Neville had hooked up with Susan Bones. Harry's one date fifth year with Cho Chang paled in comparison. Plus, with no more evil dark lord hanging over his head, Harry could actually have some fun this year. What a novel concept.

Harry looked over at Hermione at this and tried to gauge her reaction, to see if she would provide any information about her own relationship status. But Hermione was tightlipped, only blushing faintly and quickly averting her eyes away from Harry's.

Ginny frowned slightly but brushed it off. Getting up, she left Harry and Hermione alone so that she could visit the bathroom.

"So," said Harry in an attempt to lighten the mood, "enjoying the party?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows and gave Harry a strange look. "It's a party in your honor Harry. Of course I'm enjoying it."

Harry blushed again at her compliment. He really was extra blushy today wasn't he? "It was nice of them to do this for me but…really unnecessary. I don't need to be the center of attention. I really hope Ginny isn't right. I don't want this year to be a repeat year of the fan-girl."

Hermione chuckled at that comment. "Honestly Harry, you are the strangest boy I've ever met. Most guys would jump at the chance to have every girl in the school after them. And you think it's just a huge burden!"

"I'm not most guys" Harry said quietly.

Suddenly Hermione became very serious. "No, you're not. You're far superior to that. You're a man who has long since earned my respect. I expect you'll get tired of hearing it but you truly are a remarkable man, Harry Potter."

Harry's heart leapt at this compliment. To hear someone else say it, guy, girl, whatever, it wouldn't seem genuine. Just another person trying to get into his good graces. But to hear words like that from Hermione Granger, who always spoke her mind no matter what, made Harry know that she meant it. And the fact that Hermione thought of him that way lifted his spirits considerably.

"Thank you Hermione. That's really nice of you. But behind every remarkable man there's a remarkable woman. I wouldn't be where I am today without you; you know that, right?"

Hermione's eyes grew wide as he said that. She smiled softly at Harry and gave him another warm hug. "I'd be careful Harry. Words like that will charm every girl who hears them."

Harry smirked. "Good to know. Maybe they'll come in handy."

"Harry!"

"Just kidding."

"Honestly!"

Harry grinned at Hermione as she sighed softly. Something was on her mind. Harry had known her long enough to be able to detect when Hermione was thinking deeply about something.

"What's up Hermione?"

"It's nothing Harry."

This time it was Harry's turn to raise his eyebrows. "You really think that's going to work on me?'

Hermione smiled. "No, not at all. But will you let it? For now? I just need time to sort things out."

Harry nodded, knowing that he could never force Hermione to divulge something she didn't want to. "In that case then," he said, "I'm going to head up to bed. It's been a long day and I'm sure we'll be busy tomorrow doing something."

Hermione nodded and bid Harry good night. Harry headed over to the crowd and announced that he was turning in, to which he was teased by Fred and George for being a party-pooper. Harry waved them off good naturedly and headed up the stairs to the bedroom that had once belonged to Percy Weasley but which was now situated with Harry's things.

The last several days had given him quite a bit to think about. Tom Riddle was dead and once Dumbledore was recovered from his exhaustion he promised to explain the secret of Riddle's 'anchors.' Several Death Eaters were still on the run (including Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy) and thus, still posed something of a threat even without their Master. And Ginny's revelation of the attitudes he was sure to face from the Hogwarts female population was something he needed to take time to consider. Then of course there was the maddeningly inconsistent behavior of Ron and Hermione.

For years their relationship had been built on constant bickering. But last year it had seemed like they might finally put that aside and get together. But it never happened. Ron had been the world's largest prat and had actually hooked up with Lavender Brown _after he'd agreed to be Hermione's date _for the same party Harry took Luna to, and in full view of the Gryffindor common room no less. Harry hadn't blamed Hermione in the slightest for avoiding Ron for the next three months.

Then it seemed they were warming up to each other again but now here they were at this party and Harry had not seen them interact even once in four hours. What the hell?

All told, Harry was exhausted, and looked forward to a good night's sleep. As he closed his eyes, he comforted himself with the knowledge that tomorrow he would ask Ron about the status of his relationship with Hermione. This, at least, would be one matter he could have settled before arriving back at school.

With that in mind, Harry drifted off into a comfortable sleep.

-00-

**AN:** And so we have chapter one. Hopefully you can see that there are some differences between year six canon and year six in my story. Certain events still took place (Slughorn's party, Ron and Hermione's will they/won't they drama, Harry's spike in popularity with the Hogwarts girls, etc.) But there are also some differences: Most notably, Harry never hooked up with Ginny and Dumbledore survived. Harry's ignorance about Riddle's 'anchors' also shows that he was never informed about the horcruxes. And there was no grand invasion of Hogwarts by the Death Eaters.

So, what do you think so far? Like it? Hate it? Drop a review and let me know.


	2. Another Battle Begins

**AN: **Thank you so much to those who have thus far read/reviewed/followed/favorited this story. It's quite silly and yet will be serious at the same time. I truly hope you enjoy chapter two!

-00-

**Romancing Hermione Granger**

C**hapter 2, Another Battle Begins**

Harry was woken late the next morning by a grumpy looking Ron.

"Hey mate. It's pretty late and Mum wants you up. She says your breakfast is going to go to waste if you don't come down and eat it soon."

Harry rubbed his eyes and put on his glasses. The sun was pretty high by now and his watch told him that it was already 11 o'clock. This surprised him; Harry never usually slept past nine.

"I can't believe I slept this late" he said.

Ron shrugged. "Yeah, well, I guess you earned it. At least you missed the drama from earlier."

Harry sat up, intrigued. "What drama?"

Ron rolled his eyes and sighed. "Hermione. We invited her to spend the rest of the summer with us but she insisted on going back home to her parents first thing this morning. She said she only planned on staying the one night because of the party we had for you. Honestly, the way she was acting you'd think all she cared about was y-I mean, the party."

Harry adjusted his glasses again and frowned at Ron. This was exactly the kind of thing that made him so skeptical about his compatibility with Hermione.

"Ron, Hermione loves her parents. What's so strange about her wanting to spend time with them? She really hasn't seen them very much the last few years with everything that's been going on. I'm sure she'd like to spend time with you too but let her have some time with her own family first."

Ron grimaced. "Spend time with me? Please, Harry. I've been trying to get her to spend time with me all summer and she hasn't even considered it. Every time I send her a letter inviting her to come over to play quidditch or something she writes back and says 'Sorry but I can't.' She barely even spoke to me at all last night. Then she bails as soon as morning comes. I'm starting to think she really doesn't like me very much."

Harry furrowed his brow in contemplation. So Ron had been reaching out to Hermione all summer (which roughly meant four weeks). He, at least, seemed interested in starting something up with her. But why was Hermione being so distant? Was she playing hard to get? Somehow that didn't seem like something Hermione would too. It was too immature; beneath her.

Harry gathered his nerve to ask the question he'd been curious about for some time now. "So are you two together or not?"

"Honestly, mate? I don't know. I mean, she seemed like she was interested last year. Even a few months ago. But for some reason every time I try to signal I want to try something with her she just closes up and avoids me. What gives, man?"

Harry decided against telling Ron that his own actions the previous year might have scared Hermione off. Somehow he didn't think Ron would take too kindly to that. Instead he decided on asking another question.

"So she's never straight up told you that she wants to be your girlfriend?"

"No! I mean, would that be so much to ask? At least then I'd know where we stand."

"Well, have you ever told her straight up that you want to be her boyfriend?"

The look on Ron's face was priceless. He looked like he had swallowed a fish whole. "Harry, I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"A lot of reasons! For one thing I'm not that confident with her. You how she has that way of making others feel inferior to her. And…well I…I'm not exactly sure that's even what I want."

This time it was Harry's turn for a priceless look. "What do you mean you're not sure that's what you want? How the hell could you not be sure?"

"It's complicated Harry. Hermione's gotten real pretty and all but…you know the kind of girl she is. I can't imagine having as much fun with Hermione and doing the things with her that I did with Lavender."

Harry could not believe what he was hearing. Basically Ron was saying that he wasn't sure he could get as far with Hermione as he did with Lavender the previous year. Ron wasn't attracted to Hermione the person, he was lusting after Hermione the almost legal girl who had finally blossomed into a beautiful woman.

"So you're saying that you're basically just looking for the best looking girl who'll give you what you want?" Harry was suddenly reminded of a similar question asked by, of all people, Hermione herself a few years earlier. _So basically you're saying you'll just go for the best looking girl who'll have you?_ And what had been Ron's response then? _Pretty much, yeah._ Harry couldn't believe it; Ron hadn't changed a bit.

Ron glared at Harry. "I don't know what I want, okay? Why do you care all of a sudden?" he said, suddenly suspicious.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I care because you're both my best friends and the two of you spent all of sixth year dancing around one another keeping me and the rest of the castle in some kind of hormonal suspense that was never even properly satisfied. Do you know how annoying it was to have half the Hogwarts population approach me last year to ask if you and Hermione were dating? I do not want a repeat performance of that drama this year. And more importantly, Hermione is a great girl who deserves someone who will be committed to her. If you can't give her that or, for that matter, even make up your mind whether you want to be with her or not, then you should back down. She doesn't deserve to be kept in suspense about your feelings. So either ask her out or don't. Either way, make up your mind."

The two teens sat in silence for several long moments. Then Ron, who had turned an interesting shade of purple, sighed. "Do you really think I've been stringing her on?" he asked finally.

"Honestly?" said Harry. "Yeah. I think you treated her horribly last year. Seriously mate, I'm not trying to be harsh to you but why you thought it was a good idea to hook up with Lavender _after_ you already agreed to go on a date with Hermione I'll never figure out. At the very least, if you couldn't control yourself you could have picked a more private location for tonsil hockey than the bloody _common room_. I mean, I get it, Lavender's hot. She's got huge boobs. I'm sure the payoff was great but you seriously mucked up your chances with Hermione with that. Just being honest."

Deciding he didn't want to talk about this anymore, Harry got up from his bed and began to shuffle around the room. "I'm going to head downstairs" he said. "I'll see you in a bit." With that he left Ron alone to ponder their conversation.

-00-

Harry's arrival in the kitchen was greeted with a round of "Good mornings" by the other Weasley's minus Arthur, who was at work, and the usual "Oh hello Harry dear" from Mrs. Weasley. Harry was surprised to see Fred and George at the table. They had their own place above their joke shop in Diagon Alley so they didn't need to be at the Burrow any longer.

"Morning Harry" the twins chorused as Molly loaded Harry's plate with sausage, eggs, and toast.

"Hey," Harry replied. "What're you lot doing here?"

"We were too tired to go home last night" George replied.

"Too drunk would be more like it" Fred quipped.

"So we decided to stay here for the night" they said in unison.

Molly pursed her lips in disapproval at her sons' consumption of alcohol the night before. Harry chuckled and went to work on his breakfast. Fred and George went back to whatever conversation they were having before he arrived. Molly busied herself with the dishes and Ginny was on the floor playing with Arnold the pygmy puff. Bill and Fleur, Harry learned, were at work as well.

As Harry finished his meal he thanked Molly both for it and for the party the previous night, even though he could have done without the latter.

"Oh it was nothing dear" said Molly. "Really, you deserved it. It's just such a relief knowing that You Know Who is finally gone. The whole country is still in an uproar. Actually, we received a letter early this morning from Professor Dumbledore. He says that he'll be arriving here later this evening to speak to you about some arrangements that are being made. So you'll have to make sure that if you go anywhere today that you're back by 6:30 because that's when Dumbledore says he'll be here, alright dear?"

"Sure," said Harry. "No problem. Um, what kind of arrangements was he talking about?"

"He didn't say."

"Of course not," Harry mumbled darkly. But Molly didn't catch it. Really, as much as Harry admired Dumbledore the old man had an unfortunate habit of keeping his plots and plans to himself until the most awkward times. Harry's entire fifth year was a perfect example of that. Even the Battle of Privet Drive was another example. Dumbledore, and the entire Order of the Phoenix, apparently knew that Tom Riddle was going to attack with nearly thirty Death Eaters. Dumbledore obviously had a plan and the plan had worked. But not once had he enlightened Harry beforehand that "Oh, just so you know, the Dark Lord will be attacking your street on July 11th. But don't worry. It's all a plot to destroy him." Really, even a days' advance notice would have been nice.

Harry was snapped out of this thoughts by Fred and George, who were apparently calling his name. "Huh? Oh, sorry. What's up guys?"

"We were just wondering if we could have a private word with you Harry," said Fred. "Outside would be best."

Surprised, Harry nodded and said "Oh. Sure." So he followed the twins into the back yard. It was a beautiful day. It seemed that even the weather was celebrating the downfall of Tom Riddle. The warm sun felt like bliss on Harry's skin and the birds were chirping away happily.

"What's up guys?" asked Harry.

"We were wondering," began George, "if you were aware of anything strange happening in the relationship between Ron and Hermione." Harry groaned inwardly.

"You see," Fred continued, "we had heard tell from certain sources that during the previous school year our Ronald had been on the verge of some sort of a romantic relationship with the lovely and talented Miss Granger."

"But then," added George, "like a right prat he went ahead and mucked it all up. We observed last night that Hermione seemed very distant with all of us, and by all of us I mean us Weasleys. Well, except for Ginny. She barely spoke a single word to Ron all night. And then she was gone at the crack of dawn this morning. Her words with Ronald, truth be told, were actually quite heated this morning."

"Something about Hermione wanting to stay with her family and Ron being a prat about it" Fred concluded.

"So, we were wondering if you had any knowledge of this situation that you could enrich us with" George went on. "This tension is kind of awkward."

Harry snorted at that. "You don't say." He considered the twins for a moment before answering. He wanted to be careful not to reveal too much of his friend's personal business.

"Honestly guys, this entire year, going back to last summer, has been strange with those two. Last year they had the entire school in suspense of 'will they or won't they?' It was far beyond annoying. Then like you said, it looked like they might have something, but then Ron had to go and be the world's biggest prat and, yes, he _royally_ screwed things up. Hermione didn't so much as breathe at him for the next three months after that. Then, I don't know what happened, but it looked like she was ready to forgive him and give a relationship a try.

"Mind you that's just what it looked like. I have no knowledge of what exactly either one of them was thinking at the time. That was back in March. But then, as quickly as it came, it went again. Ron told me he's been trying to reach out to her for a while now but she hasn't really shown any interest. I noticed myself how distant she was with Ron last night. But I really don't know much more than that. I told Ron this morning that he needs to get his act together and either make a move or back down. I'm really getting tired of this."

The twins contemplated Harry's words for a moment. Then, with only the slightest of smirks, Fred asked Harry "So…how would you feel if Ron did get his act together and made a move?"

Harry stared blankly. "Huh?"

"I said how would you feel if Ron actually made a bold move? Would you be happy? Relieved? Irritated?"

Harry thought about it for a few seconds. How would he feel? An image came into his mind of Ron bursting through the portrait hole in the Gryffindor Common Room and marching straight toward Hermione before taking her and locking lips with her. He saw Hermione reciprocate and the two of them became enfolded within each other as they made out. Harry crinkled his nose in distaste. This was not an image he found that he liked.

Another image began to swim in Harry mind. An image of Hermione halting Ron's advance and telling him that she wasn't interested in him that way. That she was far too mature to put up with Ron's silly antics and was looking for someone who acted like a man, not a boy. Harry smiled slightly at this image. He liked this one a lot more than the first one. Even as the smile formed on his face, however, Harry narrowed his eyes in confusion.

Why should he feel angry over a mental image of Ron asking for and succeeding with a relationship with Hermione? And why should he smile over an equally mental image of Hermione rejecting Ron's offer? Did he, in fact, prefer for his two best friends to remain single. Or, at least, that they not date each other? He supposed that could make sense. If the last year was any indication, their little trio would probably be ruined if any romantic feelings developed and took root between any of them.

Realizing that he was taking a while to answer Fred's question, Harry tried to snap out of his thoughts. "I, um…Well, _if_ Ron ever got together with Hermione…I guess that would be great for him. I can't say I'm really looking forward to it but…if it happens it happens."

Fred and George smirked even more deeply. "So you're saying you wouldn't be keen on the idea of your two best friends dating?" asked George.

Harry narrowed his eyes at them. "Really that's not so strange. I'd hate to feel like the awkward third wheel."

Fred nodded but still continued smirking. "We see. So then…I guess at this point it's safe to tell you that we don't feel that our brother would make a good match for our dear Hermione either."

Harry blanched. "But I never said…"

"Hush," said Fred.

"You see," George continued, "Hermione and Ron are polar opposites. Some people say that opposites attract but really that only works with elements and magnets. And human beings are not such things. With humans there has to be a degree of chemistry present for a relationship to develop, a mutual understanding that leads to more intense feelings. In all the years we have known the three of you we never, not even once, pictured a scenario wherein our Ronald would be a good fit for Hermione. They're just too opposite. It doesn't work."

"Now before you go making judgments about our masculinity," Fred quipped, "you have to remember that we were good friends with Alicia, Angelina, and Katie. They were girls and girls, as you know, have an annoying penchant for gossip as well as trying to figure out which girl will end up with which boy. So we were exposed to this kind of conversation quite a bit in our younger years."

"Anyway," George went on, "Ron and Hermione as a couple does not work in the realm of a logical mind. She works hard; he hardly works. She is selfless; he is selfish more often than not. Hermione is incredibly mature. Ron is, how can I put this delicately? Not. He is NOT mature. Not that we don't love him, but it's the truth. And we were at Hogwarts for five years with the three of you. We know how you all interact. Ron is almost always the instigator of the fights he has with Hermione. He just doesn't seem able to handle her most of the time. People might say that when guys tease girls or fight with them or some other crap that that means they like them but we have not really seen much supporting evidence for that rather bizarre hypothesis."

"Indeed," Fred continued, "we have seen, rather, that the most enduring relationships are founded on trust, mutual respect, and devotion. Things like that. In all honesty Harry, we thought for sure that it would be _you_ and Hermione who would end up together."

Harry's cheeks flushed.

"Ah, we seem to be hitting on something now," George said.

"Look," said Harry. "I understand most of what you're saying. To be perfectly honest I agree that Ron just isn't suited for Hermione. I get it. But you've got it wrong. There's nothing going on with me and Hermione. We're just friends. We're not together."

Fred rolled his eyes. "Well _obviously_ you're not together. We were just saying that we always thought it would be the two of you instead of the two of them. You can't really blame us; it actually makes quite a bit of sense."

"Oh really?" said Harry skeptically.

"Really," said George. "But that's another story for a different day. We really must be off to the shop. Can't leave Verity by herself all day can we?" With a matching set of winks Fred and George disappeared with a loud _pop_, leaving Harry alone with his very confused thoughts.

What did they mean by saying that it made sense for Harry and Hermione to be together? Such a thing made no sense at all. _She's like my sister!_ Harry thought.

And yet, Harry's thoughts went back to the mental images from moments ago. He definitely did not like the idea of Ron and Hermione together. He thought too of what the twins had said of what makes a good foundation for a relationship. Trust, mutual respect, devotion. All of these were things he and Hermione shared unequivocally. Harry trusted Hermione implicitly. He respected her more than all of his other friends. And he certainly was devoted to her in a friendly way. He'd spent most of the previous school year showing his devotion by comforting Hermione during her time of heartbreak. Still, all of these things were emotions that could be shared between friends. It didn't have to mean that there was anything romantic between them, right?

But then Harry thought of the final person who came to his mind five days ago; just before he swung the sword at Tom Riddle's neck. Whose face shone brightly in Harry's mind that day? Whose name caused his heart to leap and spurred him into action? And even then, hadn't he acknowledged the feeling it had caused? Hadn't he identified it as his weapon against Riddle all along?

But still, that meant nothing. Of course he loved Hermione. She was his best friend. He could love her without being _in love_ with her. That's all it was. Besides, Hermione wasn't interested in _him_ in that way. She had spent a year pining after Ron. Fred and George might be right about many things, but they were wrong about this one. It didn't make sense for Harry and Hermione to be a couple just because it _didn't _make sense for _Ron_ and Hermione to be one.

Still, Harry let his mind wander to where Hermione was now. He hoped she wasn't hurting over the situation with Ron. None of it was her fault, after all.

With thoughts of Hermione on his mind, Harry made his way back inside, wondering what on earth Dumbledore would have to tell him when he arrived in six hours.

-00-

After his talk with the twins Harry spent most of his day playing quidditch with Ron. The two of them refused to talk again of Hermione during this time. It was a fairly pleasant afternoon all in all. But as 6:30 grew closer Harry became more anxious. His meetings with Dumbledore over the years hadn't always been the most peaceful of situations. He remembered vividly their meeting at the end of fifth year. Harry had trashed the headmaster's office and most of his prized possessions.

Nevertheless, 6:30 came and went and still, Dumbledore had not shown up. Harry was concerned. It wasn't like the old man to be late. He had a strange habit of always arriving right on time. By 7:00 Harry was about to inquire of Mrs. Weasley if the letter had, in fact, said 6:30 _tonight_. Perhaps she had been confused and not realized that Dumbledore had actually meant another night. Just then, however, there was a knock at the door and Molly rushed over to answer it. The tall form of Albus Dumbledore was standing there.

"My apologies for my late arrival. I was held up in an unfortunate situation involving the Minister, the _Daily Prophet_, and the Queen of England. Fortunately, the matter has been resolved and concessions have been made on all sides."

Harry stared at Dumbledore blankly. Leave it to him to be held up in the most unusual of situations.

"Professor Dumbledore," Molly breathed, "welcome. Would you like me to make you something to eat? How about tea?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Tea would be lovely Molly, but please do not put yourself out for food. I'm quite all right. Ahh, and good evening Ronald, Ginevra," he said, inclining in head to Ron and Ginny. "I hope you're both having a good summer?"

Ron and Ginny, who had never had the kind of relationship with Dumbledore that Harry had, were still rather star struck around their headmaster. After all, it wasn't every day that Albus Dumbledore came to your home and asked you how your summer was going.

"Great," said Ron.

"Wonderful really," Ginny supplied.

Dumbledore smiled again. "Marvelous. And Harry!" he said, turning finally to the person he had actually come to see. "Harry my boy; it is good to see you again. We have much to discuss. The two of us will be covering a lot of ground this evening both figuratively and literally as well. Are you dressed and ready for a nighttime adventure?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. Of course he wasn't. This was Dumbledore after all. He couldn't just say in the letter what he wanted to do but had to make it sound as if he just wanted to come over and talk. Really, the old man was too secretive for his own good.

Still, Harry responded kindly. "I guess so. Where will we be going?"

Dumbledore waved his hand airily. "Oh, here and there. Ah, thank you Molly. There is never a bad time for tea."

Within five minutes Dumbledore had drained his cup and beckoned Harry to come close to him. "We will be side-along apparating together Harry. Only this time _I_ will be doing the guiding."

Harry nodded and bid the Weasleys goodnight as he didn't know for how long he would be gone.

With an enigmatic wave Dumbledore too bid the Weasleys farewell and quickly disappeared along with Harry with the telltale _pop_.

Harry wasn't sure he would ever get used to the sensation of apparating. The feeling of being constricted from all sides was certainly not a welcome one. Within mere seconds however, the pair found themselves in front of a dimly lit city side street that Harry would recognize anywhere.

"Number 12 Grimmauld Place? What are we doing here?"

"You will see momentarily Harry."

Dumbledore produced a key and handed it to Harry. "It is your home after all," he said. "You should do the honors."

So Harry inserted the key and pushed open the ancient door. Number 12 was just as ominous as it had been two years earlier when its former owner, Sirius Black was still alive. Harry didn't like this place. It reminded him too much of Sirius.

Dumbledore led the way into the familiar kitchen area and gestured for Harry to take a seat. From the looks of things no one had been in here for quite some time. Harry remembered sending Kreacher to live at Hogwarts and since Harry was now secret keeper for the house it really must have been more than a year since the last time anyone had set foot in the ancient mansion.

Dumbledore gazed at Harry happily for a moment before speaking. "So Harry, how have you been enjoying the last five Voldemort-free days?"

Harry smirked. "It's a great feeling. According to the _Prophet_, though, Bellatrix and Lucius Malfoy escaped. So it's not quite over yet, is it?"

Dumbledore nodded gravely. "No, it is not. The Ministry is, however, doing all it can to find and capture the last remaining Death Eaters and I am hopeful that they will succeed soon. The death of their master was an unexpected blow that they will not soon recover from. So for the time being I think we can relax our worries about what the two of them will be able to accomplish alone. Without Tom they have no guidance."

Harry didn't quite agree. "But couldn't that make them even more reckless? Remember when he fell last time? Bellatrix and her friends lashed out against the Longbottoms. What if they try something like that again?"

"And undoubtedly they will. But for the moment they are probably far too shocked about what happened to be able to form a carefully laid plan like that. I am glad that you see the danger though. In fact, that makes a fine segue into what I wanted to discuss with you here.

"You see Harry, in just a couple of weeks you will become legally of age and I will be unable to protect you from what is to come."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

Dumbledore sighed. "As long as you remain underage I have the maneuverability to keep you away from the unwanted attention of the media and others like it. For instance, I was able to arrange for your departure from the Dursleys to the Weasleys with no trouble and Arthur and Molly have a right to keep the media off of their property while you are there. Once you turn seventeen however, I will no longer be permitted to make maneuvers like that. You will be an adult and beyond my ability to protect legally.

"You will be responsible for your own interactions with the public and I fear that you are ill equipped to handle them. If you thought the media was bad when you were the Boy Who Lived and the Chosen One, well, I'm sure you can imagine the veritable circus that is, as they say, 'chomping at the bit' to make a national hero out of you since your defeat of Lord Voldemort. Would I be correct in saying that you do not wish to be hounded by myriads of reporters seeking an interview, an autograph, or a photo?"

Harry's eyes bulged. These last five days living in relative seclusion, first at Privet Drive then at the Burrow, apparently had blinded Harry to the fact that of course the whole country would be up in arms over being unable to contact the Boy Who Conquered. He imagined a media circus unlike anything he'd ever witnessed before, even during that blasted tournament during fourth year. Harry's face must have shown his panic for Dumbledore continued his speech kindly.

"Nevertheless, as one last effort at your protection I have an idea. This house was left to you, as you know, in Sirius' will. It is unplottable and hidden, of course, to all except to whom you wish to reveal it. Rather than spend the entirety of the summer at the Burrow perhaps you might consider moving into Number 12 Grimmauld Place when you turn seventeen. It is, after all, your house."

Harry gazed around the dank and dusty kitchen. He really didn't like this house. Still, Dumbledore had a point. At least here people wouldn't be able to find him or hound him with questions. And the house was given to him by Sirius. He must have wanted him to have it. It felt like an insult to Sirius' memory to not make some use of this house.

"I guess I can move in here," said Harry slowly. "But it's going to need a lot of work before I do. I can't stand this place and I'm really not up for a lot of cleaning."

Dumbledore smiled amusedly. "Undoubtedly some of your friends would be willing to assist you in tidying up the place."

Harry snorted. "I think Ron and Hermione have spent enough time cleaning here to last them a lifetime."

"I was actually thinking of a friend more suited to the task. Dobby the house-elf" said Dumbledore when Harry just stared at him uncomprehendingly.

"Oh! That's actually a good idea. Would you mind professor, I mean…is it okay if he leaves Hogwarts for a while?"

"Dobby is a free elf Harry. He is welcome to do what he wants and take whatever job he pleases. If you want him here all you have to do is call him."

Harry smiled. "I'll do that then. Dobby!"

With a _crack_ the diminutive elf appeared in Number 12's kitchen.

"Harry Potter sir! It is an honor as always! How can Dobby be of assistance to Harry Potter?" the elf squeaked.

"Hi Dobby, good to see you again. I, um, have a project I need your help with. If you don't mind that is."

Dobby was practically hyperventilating. "Dobby would be honored to assist Harry Potter in anything he asks! Name the task and Dobby will perform it!"

"Well, I'm going to move in to this house on July 31st and I really don't like the way that it looks or feels. This house has a very dark history and I don't want anything to do with that. Could you please clean this house in such a way that it actually becomes livable again? And get rid of any dark objects?"

"Dobby will do it sir! Dobby will make it so that Harry Potter's house looks brand new and worthy of a great man such as Harry Potter!"

Harry cracked a grin at the elf's enthusiasm. "Thanks Dobby. You're welcome to invite any of the other elves from Hogwarts to help you. Except Kreacher. I don't think he would appreciate the task too much."

"Dobby will get to work right away Harry Potter sir!" With another _crack_ he disappeared, presumably back to Hogwarts.

"Well done Harry," Dumbledore said. "Within a few weeks you will have your very own house to live in. Not bad for one so young."

"Yeah, not bad," Harry agreed. "Is that all professor?"

"Oh heavens no Harry. Our evening has just barely begun. However, our time here at Number 12 has expired. Make sure to keep that key with you. And remember, no one will be able to come here, except the house elves of course, without you expressly telling them the name and location of the house. So if you want some company once in a while you will have to divulge the secret to some people."

"I'll remember that. Just out of curiosity, how did you know where the house was if you're no longer secret keeper?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in amusement. "I was able to recall the approximate location. However, until you conveniently said 'Number 12 Grimmauld Place? What are we doing here?' I was unable to see or recall the name of this location. You have, unwittingly it seems, let me in on the secret. You must be more cautious in the future. Especially with two Death Eaters still on the loose."

Harry never ceased to be amazed by Albus Dumbledore.

-00-

After disapparating from Grimmauld Place they reappeared outside of a stately manor that Harry did not recognize. It had a large wrought iron gate surrounding it and looked almost as menacing as Grimmauld Place from the outside.

"Where are we now professor?"

"This is the estate of none other than Minister Scrimgeour."

Harry took a step back. Didn't Dumbledore just say he was trying to protect Harry from these kinds of people?

"Professor I…"

"I'm sorry Harry but this visit with the Minister is necessary. I promise not to allow it to last a moment longer than it must."

Harry sighed and steeled himself for the inevitably awkward and annoying visit with the principle politician in Britain. "What does Scrimgeour want with me this time?"

"Rufus wishes to congratulate you in person for your tremendous service to Britain. Additionally, he has some information that you will likely need to hear."

The headmaster and student strolled up to the gate where Dumbledore cleared his throat and spoke clearly "Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter here to see Rufus Scrimgeour." The gate swung open and Dumbledore led the way along the winding pathway up to the elegant front door of the Minister's mansion.

"Minister Scrimgeour lives in style I see," said Harry dryly.

"You should have seen Minister Fudge's house," Dumbledore deadpanned. Harry couldn't help but chuckle.

Before they could knock the door swung open and a house elf appeared at their feet.

"Welcome sirs. Master Rufus is waiting for you. Allow me to lead you to him."

_Figures he wouldn't even open the door for himself_, Harry thought, promising himself that he would never be so lazy at his own house. Unbidden, an image of Hermione came to him. She was smiling at his mental chastisement of Scrimgeour's reliance on the elf for this mundanely simple task. Harry shook the attractive image away as he followed Dumbledore and the elf into the Minister's study.

"Master Rufus" the elf announced, "Misters Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter to see you sir."

"Ah, thank you Daisy. You may go."

The elf named Daisy bowed and quickly left the room. Dumbledore smiled politely at the Minister while Harry looked around the room. It certainly was an impressive study. The wall was lined with book after book after book, some very obviously several hundred years old. Harry smiled as he thought of what Hermione would do if she could get her hand son some of these.

Hanging on the walls were also awards and framed certificates from Scrimgeour's days as an auror. Also, there was an enormous framed photo of his inauguration day and the newspaper clipping announcing his election. It seemed that this room was some sort of shrine to Scrimgeour's accomplishments.

"I'm glad the two of you could make it" the Minister said. "We have important matters to discuss." He was obviously addressing Harry. He never so much as looked at Dumbledore even once.

"I'm afraid Harry is still a minor Minister. He must be accompanied by a guardian in a situation like this. And since his legal guardians are muggles and his godfather is now deceased it falls to me to act as his guardian today. You know the typical legal procedure."

Scrimgeour looked as though he would rather object but thought better of it. Resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get rid of Dumbledore so easily he sighed and said "Very well. Take a seat." It was an order.

Scrimgeour stared hard at Harry for a few seconds. Then he said "First of all Mr. Potter Britain owes you a debt of gratitude. Your actions five days ago have surely made our society a much safer place to live in. The fall of the Dark Lord will no doubt be viewed as a pivotal date in history by future generations. You will be awarded with an Order of Merlin, First Class of course."

Harry forced a smile. He felt uncomfortable already; Scrimgeour just had this way about him. "Thank you Minister. I must tell you, though, that Professor Dumbledore did most of the work. He dueled Tom Riddle in a spectacular duel. Without his help I never would have been able to finish him off." Harry turned to look at Dumbledore who inclined his head courteously.

"Yes," replied Scrimgeour, "Dumbledore's contributions are not to be overlooked. Nevertheless, you are the hero all of Britain wants to see. And five whole days without making a statement about the greatest event in modern times is far too long. The public demands to hear from you Mr. Potter. They want to hear your account of what happened."

"Surely Professor Dumbledore has informed the public already? Surely so have you? You must have been informed after all."

Scrimgeour forced a smile this time. "Yes I was informed. And yes, I have made a statement. But that's not the point. The public wants to hear from you. You're the spectacle here Potter. You're their hero. For the sake of public relations we need you to say something…"

"Who's we?" asked Harry irritably. He didn't like to be referred to as a spectacle.

Scrimgeour frowned. "We, that is to say, the Ministry…"

"Oh," Harry interrupted, "so this is another one of those 'please make the Ministry look good' pleas?"

"Mr. Potter I do not wish to argue with you. Really what I am asking is not all that difficult. All I ask is for you to make a statement verifying that Lord Voldemort really is dead and also to squash some of the more ridiculous rumors that are going around. For instance that you used the Sword of Gryffindor-"

"But I did use the Sword of Gryffindor."

Scrimgeour narrowed his eyes. "I happen to know that the Sword of Gryffindor has been displayed in the office of the headmaster of Hogwarts for some time now. How did you obtain it?"

"It came to me when I called for it. Just like when I was in my second year. I'm sure you've heard the story of how I entered the Chamber of Secrets and slayed the monster of Slytherin?"

"Your highly illegal escapades have been brought to my attention, yes."

"I for one," interrupted Dumbledore for the first time, "think that it is quite fitting that Harry used the Sword of Gryffindor to defeat the Heir of Slytherin. It seems a bit poetic doesn't it?"

Scrimgeour looked livid. "This is a very serious matter Dumbledore! If Potter actually summoned the Sword of Gryffindor out of thin air then this complicates matters even further. Along with rumors of the sword's use against Voldemort there are whispers that Potter is…well, that he is Gryffindor's heir!"

"What?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore looked almost bored. "Which is impossible of course. Godric Gryffindor's line died out with the death of his daughter Judith who died childless. Reliable historical information tells us that the sword may present itself to any worthy Gryffindor. And certainly there would be no Gryffindor more worthy than Harry."

"Be that as it may Dumbledore, the rumors persist-"

"And you want me to squash the rumors?" Harry interrupted again. "Why is it so important that I not be Gryffindor's heir?"

Scrimgeour looked as though he were struggling within himself, trying to determine how much he should reveal. He already let the cat out of the bag as far as what was bugging him was concerned so he figured he might as well jump right in.

"Mr. Potter, if Godric Arthur Gryffindor were to have an heir this would be very bad for the foundations of British society. Gryffindor is by far the most celebrated of all the founders of Hogwarts. His name is legendary and his exploits well known even to muggles, who know him as the mythical King Arthur. Most of what the muggles believe about King Arthur is nonsense; they simply don't remember that Arthur was Gryffindor's middle name.

"The Knights of the Roundtable? The Sword Excalibur? Merlin? All legends have a basis in fact. The knights were actually the other three Hogwarts founders. Excalibur obviously is the Sword of Gryffindor. And Merlin is clearly Merlin. If people were to believe that Gryffindor, whose pseudonym was King Arthur, had an actual living heir they would want to make him king. There are no kings or queens in our culture anymore except on the muggle side. If Elizabeth II felt at all threatened the Statute of Secrecy could be breached and we could be exposed. There might even be war."

Scrimgeour finished his last sentence in barely more than a whisper. Harry couldn't help it; he burst out laughing.

"Let me get this straight. The guy who muggles call King Arthur is actually Godric Gryffindor, and even though Gryffindor has no living descendants you're afraid that if people think that I'm his descendant, which I can't possibly be, that they'll try to make me King Harry the First? You're afraid that Queen Elizabeth will break the Statute of Secrecy and start a war with us? Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?

"I mean, okay…so let's say Gryffindor really is King Arthur; I can buy that. But who in our world would want to make me king based on a muggle legend? And honestly, have you taken a look at muggle society at all in the last 200 years? Their royalty is ceremonial at best. Kings and Queens don't really govern like they used to. So don't worry, Elizabeth has nothing to fear."

Scrimgeour was not amused. "The Queen does not share your certainty. She has told us, Dumbledore included, that she is worried about how the public will receive you."

"The muggle public doesn't even know I exist!" Harry nearly shouted.

"But _our public does!_ She fears that you will lead some sort of revolution into the muggle world!"

Harry was dumbfounded. "Then she's insane."

"I did tell you it was an unfortunate situation Harry," said Dumbledore somberly.

"Look," said Harry impatiently, "I'll make a stupid statement before the public. You've got to give me a week to get ready. If you can provide me with a list of my genealogy on my father's side and proof of Gryffindor's lack of descendants I'll demonstrate before everybody that I can't possibly be Gryffindor's heir. Nobody in their right mind would want to make me King Harry then."

Scrimgeour was not happy about having to hold off for a whole week but he knew this was going to be the best that he would get. "Very well," he said finally. "There is only one other matter left." He pulled an envelope from his inside pocket and handed it to Harry.

"What's this?"

"It is a formal invitation to a Victory Ball that will be held in your honor on December 31st. You are required to attend."

"Not happening," said Harry flatly.

"Actually Harry, it is," said Dumbledore. "Part of my agreement with the Minister and the Queen was that you would attend this banquet that will be, after all, in your honor. It is a formal occasion so you will need new dress robes and, of course, a date." Dumbledore's eyes once more held that annoying twinkle.

"What agreement?" asked Harry. "I haven't heard anything about an agreement."

"Well," said Dumbledore, growing more smug by the minute, "I thought you might like to know that Dolores Umbridge will shortly be receiving a visit from Alastor Moody. You see, Minister Scrimgeour has kindly agreed to prosecute her for the use of torture, intimidation, misuse of authority, misuse of funds, bribery, and corruption during her tenure as Senior Undersecretary to the former Minister, Cornelius Fudge, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and of course, her glorious administration as headmistress. I thought that you might be willing to endure a formal Ball with an attractive young woman on your arm as the price to pay for the incarceration of Dolores Umbridge in Azkaban."

-00-

**AN:** And that is chapter two. I must say I really went for the ridiculous this time around. But I had fun with it. Soon school will start (in the story that is) and we'll be treated to some juicy Harry/Hermione action.

So, what does everyone think? This is only my second attempt at a slightly ridiculous story; normally mine are much more serious. Also, I have a question to pose: Where should I take this whole Queen Elizabeth is paranoid thing? Should I actually treat it seriously, as in a potentially real danger to the characters or just as some absurd plot device? Let me know what you think! If anyone is reading this, that is. Until next time, take care!


	3. Coming of Age

**Romancing Hermione Granger**

**Chapter 3, Coming of Age**

Over the course of the next week Harry lost almost complete control of his life. _So much for Dumbledore and his ruddy protection_ he thought bitterly. Ever since his return to the Burrow the night he had gone out with the headmaster Harry had been fussed over, picked apart, told what to do, where to be, and how to it right. Representatives from the Minister's office of public relations made their way in and out of the Burrow 'prepping' him for his big press conference which Scrimgeour had placed as a topic of national importance.

The Ministry representatives had told Harry in no uncertain terms that he was not to deviate from the script he would be provided. Of course, he wasn't going to actually be provided with the script until a few hours before the press conference was set to begin. On top of all this, Molly was fussing over him even worse than usual since she had learned that Harry would be moving into his own place at the end of the month. She raised all sorts of objections that he wasn't ready, he was too young, not able to take care of a house of his own, etc. etc. Even Ron grated on Harry's nerves with his random ruminations on the state of his relationship with Hermione. Harry had been tempted to tell him that if he were Hermione he would never even consider dating him after what he had put her through last year, but he thought better of it.

All in all Harry's nerves were frayed. What had started out as a moment of triumphant euphoria, the death of Tom Riddle, had quickly degenerated into a frenzy of anxiety and public pressure. If Harry didn't give the Minister exactly what he wanted there would somehow be bad blood between the Ministry and the muggle queen, which still made no sense at all. Then there was that stupid Victory Ball he was being required to attend on New Year's Eve. Not to mention the media circus that would no doubt be waiting with cameras ready tomorrow morning as soon as he walked into the Ministry. All of this was beginning to feel awfully familiar, and in an awfully uncomfortable way.

Even the Weasleys, whom Harry always felt comfortable with, seemed almost unbearable at the moment. Ron with his never ending queries about Hermione, Molly with her constant coddling, even Ginny had started to annoy him. It was almost like in the week since he'd arrived at her home that she'd begun to revert back to her younger self who had been hopelessly infatuated with the legend of Harry Potter. Every time Harry made a move Ginny practically gushed about what a hero he was and how amazing it was to have him staying in her house. To be honest, as much as he never thought he'd ever say this, Harry was quite looking forward to getting to Grimmauld Place and just getting away from it all.

And so it was a welcome surprise when Tuesday night, the night before the press conference, Hedwig rapped on the Weasleys sitting room window with a message attached to her leg. Harry immediately recognized the neat penmanship of Hermione Granger and immediately untied the scroll to read its contents.

_Tuesday, July 22, 1997_

_Dear Harry,_

_ I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to speak with you since the party last week. I know I left in a rush and never got a chance to say good-bye. I just needed to get out of there. I think I finally understand how you've felt before when you just needed to leave somewhere. I read in the _Daily Prophet_ that you're going to be giving a press conference tomorrow morning about what happened that day on Privet Drive. I can't imagine that you would willingly want to speak to the public on behalf of the Ministry about anything, especially after the way they've treated you in the past. I hope that this is something that you at least have some control over._

_ I've been thinking about things a lot recently, about our lives and where we're going to end up. This year will be our final year together at Hogwarts and I would hate for us to drift apart just because we no longer go to school together. You're my best friend and I always want you in my life. I realize that I have some explaining to do about how I treated you last year. Sixth year was such an emotional roller coaster and I feel as though I spent a lot of that time pushing you away from me. I'm sorry Harry. I acted incredibly immaturely and nothing at all like the prefect I'm supposed to be._

_ I want you to know that I will be there at the Ministry tomorrow in order to hear you speak and I'd like to see you afterwards. We haven't really had much chance to just hang out together in a long time. If you're free after the press conference maybe we could go for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat? Of course, if you have plans already I understand. I guess I just miss my best friend, that's all. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Breathe easy Harry! You'll make it through this!_

_Love from, _

_Hermione_

Harry smiled widely at this welcome bit of communication from Hermione. It was true that they hadn't communicated at all since the party a week ago and Harry missed her quite a bit. Maybe it was because of how often Ron would bring her up but Harry found that his mind drifted to his best female friend a lot recently compared to times past. Perhaps it also had to do with how little he had seen of her so far this summer.

It was also nice to know that Hermione was aware of the change in their relationship from the previous year and was apologetic over it. Harry too had noticed how she had sort of kept him at arm's length over the previous year and he had actually been quite hurt by it. He had always felt that if all else failed (as it often did) he would always have Hermione. She had been the only one who stood by him for a while during fourth year and had resolutely supported him during the dark times of Umbridge's administration. But the sixth year of their friendship had been the most strained ever. The more Hermione pined after Ron, the more it seemed she would push Harry away.

But if Hermione was aware of her actions and was willing to change then that was all that Harry could ask for. He felt the same way she did; he missed his best friend too. Harry made sure that he would have a clear schedule after the press conference so that he could catch up with Hermione.

"Who's the letter from?" Ron asked.

"Hermione" Harry replied.

Ron narrowed his eyes darkly. "Really? Funny. She hasn't returned any of my letters since she stormed out of the house last week. What'd she want?"

Harry sighed, hoping against hope that he wasn't about to be treated to another 'Ron is jealous' moment. "She wanted to wish me well for tomorrow. And she wants to meet up afterwards."

Ron perked up immediately. "Oh, great! We can go to Diagon Alley or something!"

"Actually Ron, I got the impression that she would like to speak to me privately. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to join us."

Ron's ears went red. Danger could be imminent.

"Oh? Why not? What makes you think she only wants to see you?"

"Just the tone of the letter. I think she's still mad at you for something. Maybe she wants to talk to me about you and that's why she doesn't want you there." Harry didn't think this was it but didn't want to tell Ron that his love interest hadn't even mentioned him in her letter.

Ron was not happy. "So are you going to meet her then?"

Harry raised his eyebrow. "I was planning on it. With the exception of the party I haven't seen her since the end of term. I'd like to hang out with her for a while."

"Yeah," Ron muttered, "without me obviously."

This was the last straw. Ron's jealousy issues needed to end here. "Ron, have you ever considered that maybe my existence and Hermione's existence doesn't revolve around you? Has it ever crossed your mind that perhaps, just perhaps, Hermione's motivations and my motivations have nothing to do with you, either positively or negatively? You have a tendency to internalize things and make them into personal issues when they're really not. The fact that Hermione and I want to see each other is not strange at all. We've been friends for six years and we care about each other. That doesn't mean we're plotting behind your back. Maybe that's why Hermione doesn't seem interested in you. Maybe you need to stop making false accusations about her.

"First it was Krum and now it's me. Tell me, is Hermione allowed to have any interactions with the male sex without your express permission? You should know me that I would never try to do something to betray you," _Which is more than I can say for you_, he thought bitterly. "If you're afraid that I'm going to try to move in on your woman behind your back I have two things to say. One, I would never do something like that without telling you how I felt about the person. Two, Hermione is not your woman. She's a free person who can hang out with whoever she wants, certainly her best friend.

"These jealousy issues have got to stop. Nobody is trying to hurt you mate. So just let it go."

For a long time neither boy spoke. Finally, Ron mumbled "Sorry mate." Harry nodded. Then he gave his attention to Hedwig who apparently expected him to send her off with a response soon. Harry smirked and scrawled _I look forward to seeing you tomorrow_ on a piece of parchment. Then Hedwig went off into the night sky.

-00-

The morning of the press conference was as chaotic as any Harry had ever experienced. Molly fussed about the state of his hair and his robes. Arthur took Harry into work with him at 8:00 a.m. which was two hours before the 10:00 conference.

The conference was to be held in the Ministry press room, a room usually reserved for daily briefings form the Minister's spokesman or sometimes rare briefings from the Minister himself. Today, however, the press room would experience the abnormality of having its speaker not even be an employee of the Ministry, rather, a still not technically legal student who just happened to have killed the most powerful dark lord of all time.

As soon as Harry and Arthur arrived at the Ministry Harry was accosted by his 'handlers' who insisted on doing and hour and a half of additional prep which included make-up, hair styling, and stern warnings not to deviate from the script that Harry had still not even seen yet. Finally, at 9:45 (15 minutes before the press conference was scheduled to start) Harry was given the final draft of the script approved by Minister Scrimgeour himself.

Harry flipped through it and almost immediately became stony faced. The script was nothing more than a propaganda piece. Apparently Harry was supposed to emphasize how desperate the situation had been and how Voldemort and nearly won until reinforcements from the Ministry, hand-picked by Scrimgeour himself, had arrived and restored order to the scene, allowing Harry the opportunity to move in on Voldemort for the killing stroke. The script made hardly any reference at all to the spectacular duel between Dumbledore and Voldmort, merely referring to it as a skirmish. Likewise, the Sword of Gryffindor was not mentioned anywhere. It only said that Harry had beheaded Riddle with a sharp metallic object. All in all Harry was made to look like a weak little boy who had been cornered and bailed out by the Ministry. Harry wondered what Scrimgeour was playing at.

As events would have it, Harry got the opportunity to ask the Minister that very question almost immediately. For, at 9:55, Rufus Scrimgeour himself walked into the backstage area.

"Mr. Potter. You are ready to make your appearance I take it? You have been warned not to deviate from the official script provided by my office. Failure to do so will result in serious repercussions."

Harry glared at the politician. "I assume you personally drafted this piece of crap, then?"

Scrimgeour narrowed his eyes dangerously. "I beg your pardon?"

"This script isn't even close to being accurate. The Ministry didn't even show up until well after the battle started and yet you credit them with dominating the battle. Most of the Death Eaters were already down by that point anyway. You barely mention Dumbledore's contributions and yet I told you that their duel was spectacular. You don't even mention the Sword of Gryffindor at all and you make me out to be some hopeless child. Need I remind you that I was taking out Death Eaters long before your Ministry ever even acknowledged Voldemort's return?"

Scrimgeour's jaw hardened and he stepped very closely to Harry so that only he could hear his next words. "Potter I am going to be frank with you. I don't like you. I've never liked you. I haven't forgotten your cheek when I first met you seven months ago. You seem to think that because you have been endowed with a very mysterious history that you are somehow superior to everyone you meet. I am the Minister of Britain. And as such I am fully capable of bringing some very serious charges against you. At the very least for leading an illegal resistance group called the D.A. not to mention breaking into the Ministry itself.

"You've been given a lot of leeway on those issues because of the previous administration's failure to take you at your word. But I have no problem with bringing those charges against you in a court of law. You'll be of age at the end of the month, correct? Tell me, how would you like to be charged as an adult with crimes against the Ministry?"

Harry's eyes widened in shock. Was the Minister actually threatening him? "I seem to have gotten your attention," Scrimgeour said satisfactorily. "If you so much as deviate one syllable from the words that have been prepared for you I will personally ensure that your seventeenth birthday will be your last as a free man." Turning to look at the curtain separating them from the stage he said "Show time."

With that, Rufus Scrimgeour walked out onto the platform where an international assortment of reporters was waiting eagerly for the most anticipated press conference of modern times.

Plastering a smile on his face as only an expert politician can, Scrimgeour waved jovially at the reporters but also at all those in the Atrium of the Ministry who were watching the whole scene play out by means of enormous screens.

"Good morning to all of you. As you know all of Britain has been waiting for this moment for a fortnight; the moment when Harry Potter finally breaks his silence and tells us all the _real story_ about what happened on that fateful day, July 11, 1997. I ask you please to hold your questions until Mr. Potter has finished speaking. Then you may proceed. Now without further ado I give you…Harry Potter!"

-00-

Harry walked about in a daze as he was escorted by his 'handlers' down to the atrium where he was planning on meeting Hermione. This day had not gone at all the way that he had anticipated. For one thing he had not anticipated being threatened by the Minister with being charged with "crimes" that had taken place a year or more ago and which had been committed out of necessity. For another, Harry felt like a piece of meat that had been chewed up, spit out, re-chewed, and spit out again by the media.

He had been forced to answer question after question about the Battle of Privet Drive, questions that he couldn't even answer honestly lest he be arrested and (possibly) sent to Azkaban. Then those miserable parasites had dredged up every traumatic event in Harry's life, from the aforementioned break-in at the Department of Mysteries, to the night of Voldemort's return, the incident in the Chamber of Secrets, and even his abusive childhood at the Dursleys. He had been forced to deny unequivocally any relationship to Godric Gryffindor, which was the only assertion in the script that was actually true. By the end of the press conference which, including the interviews had lasted almost two hours, Harry hardly even felt human anymore. More like a side-show curiosity that was being held hostage by an uptight politician with a vendetta.

Harry barely registered that someone was calling his name until he could see the form of a person running up to him.

"Harry!" Hermione cried. "Harry what happened up there? That wasn't anything like what you had described in your letters about what happened on Privet Drive. What's happened?"

Harry just looked at Hermione strangely. It was unnerving; she had never seen him look so vacant. "Harry, what happened?" she repeated.

"Hermione…" Harry muttered. "Let's get out of here. Now."

"Where do you want to go?" Hermione asked.

"Anywhere but here. No…Grimmauld Place. My house is at Number 12 Grimmauld Place."

So Hermione escorted Harry out of the Ministry complex and side-along apparated him to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Once there, Harry fumbled around for his key which he kept with him at all times per Dumbledore's instructions. Together, the pair crossed the threshold and silently made their way into the kitchen.

Harry didn't notice because he was too dazed but Hermione immediately registered that the house was much cleaner than any time she had seen it before. In fact, it actually looked like the regal mansion that it truly was. Harry slumped down into a chair as Hermione took the seat opposite him.

"Harry, talk to me. What happened? Why are you so shaken? Why did it sound like you were lying through your teeth this morning?"

Harry looked at her seriously. "Because I was."

"But why?"

Harry rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. Why could he just not have a normal life? Even without Voldemort hanging over him Harry still seemed unable to just live like an ordinary teenager.

"I was threatened by Minister Scrimgeour that if I deviated from the script that the Ministry provided me with that I would be charged with leading the illegal D.A. as well as breaking into the Ministry that night in fifth year. He as much as said that if I altered one syllable that my seventeenth birthday would be my last as a free man."

Hermione gasped. "He couldn't possibly! Harry that's blackmail! He can't get away with that!"

"He can and he is. I'm tired Hermione. I'm tired of every day being a struggle. I'm sick of always being threatened with one thing or another. I thought that if I defeated Voldemort all of these things would stop and I could just be normal. But now Voldemort's dead and I still can't get away from it all. I'm always going to be the media's favorite piece of meat and I'm always going to be under the Ministry's thumb. Do you know I wasn't even allowed to mention that Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy escaped? There's still two dangerous Death Eaters out there and the Minister didn't even mention them once. I feel like I'm dealing with Fudge all over again."

Hermione's eyes misted up at the sound of sheer desperation in Harry's voice.

"My first reaction was to tell Scrimgeour to suck it but…honestly, Hermione? I'm just too tired to fight back anymore. I didn't even know Voldemort was going to attack that day. Apparently the entire Order knew, but I didn't. Don't you think that would have been good for me to know? I nearly had a heart attack when Voldemort showed up unannounced. Now there's some major national security issue going on between the Ministry, Dumbledore, and Queen Elizabeth that I don't even understand; supposedly the queen feels threatened by me. She thinks that somehow people are going to make me a king and I'll lead some revolution into Muggle Britian. I know; ridiculous right?

"And I'm being forced to attend some stupid Victory Ball on New Year's Eve which is supposed to be a big Ministry party in my honor. Ironic, huh? The Minister hates me and yet he's throwing me a big party. Hermione, I just want it to stop. That's all I want. I just want it to stop…"

Harry's voice caught in his throat and Hermione realized that he was going into a state of shock. Immediately she reached out and pulled him close to herself and gently stroked his hair while Harry shook silently in her arms.

For a long time neither of them said a word. She just sat there with Harry in her arms stroking his hair and waiting for him to calm down. After quite some time Harry leaned up and sighed deeply. It was embarrassing to be seen like this. But he didn't know how he would have made it without Hermione there with him.

"Thanks Hermione" he said softly. "You're always there for me. Thank you for being there for me."

Hermione shook her head. "Harry I haven't been there for you half as much as I should have been. Where was I last year? Too stuck in my own emotional mess to realize that I was pushing you away, that's where I was. Where was I when you needed me two summers ago? You were stuck all alone in that awful house while I just sat here and waited for the grown-ups to bring you in. I could have at least come to visit you; I could have taken the Knight Bus or something."

Harry smiled weakly at his friend's fretful nature. Hermione kept on going.

"Oh Harry I'm so sorry things are always so difficult for you. It isn't fair! How can the Minister just threaten you like that? It's...it's…"

"Ridiculous?" Harry offered.

"No," said Hermione. "It makes perfect sense even if it is cruel. It's a total power play. This Ministry will never learn, no matter who's in charge. Scrimgeour was willing to act conciliatory towards you as long as he needed you; when Voldemort was still alive. That's why he wanted to speak with you last year and that's why he allowed the _Daily Prophet_ to promote you as the Chosen One. He saw you as a useful ally in gaining the people's trust in his administration. If he could receive the Chosen One's nod of approval no one would dare question how he does things. Only now the situation is reversed. Voldemort is dead so he no longer needs you. So instead of building you up as the Chosen One he's trying to tear you down by undermining your abilities and making it seem as if the Ministry was far more active in the death of Voldemort than it really was.

"He's trying to make you seem ordinary and insignificant compared to the power of his Ministry because he feels threatened by you. It's the same thing Fudge did but flip-flopped. Fudge was kind to you as long as Voldemort was gone. But once he returned and Fudge was unwilling to accept it he turned on you and used the media to malign you. It's the same thing Scrimgeour is doing now only Scrimgeour is more skillful at it than Fudge. He's not outright slandering you; the people would never have that. He's just trying to marginalize you and make you seem unimportant. If we're not careful we may have a dictator on our hands."

Harry stared in amazement at Hermione. How she could come up with these explanations so quickly was beyond him. It reminded him of how she had been able to determine from a speech about nothing that the Ministry was going to try and interfere at Hogwarts, and lo and behold that's exactly what happened.

"You're amazing Hermione. Honestly, you're the most amazing person I've ever met."

Hermione blushed at his compliment. "That's…that's very kind of you Harry. But I'm not that great."

Harry looked at her incredulously. "Hermione, you're the smartest person I know and I know a lot of smart people. Your ability to read situations and determine what's really going on is uncanny. I never would have been able to come to that conclusion about Scrimgeour on my own but you're right. You're absolutely right. Now that I know what Scrimgeour's trying to do I don't feel so devastated. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not happy, but at least I understand what's happening now. This morning I couldn't understand anything."

Hermione smiled. "I guess the only thing left to figure out now is how we're going to get back at him."

"Huh?"

"Oh Harry you know we can't just sit back and let him get away with this. With Fudge and Umbridge we made use of the media to tell your side of the story and we formed the D.A. to actively resist them. Of course we can't just sit back now."

Once again Harry gazed in amazement at his best friend. What had happened to the girl who once thought being expelled from school was a fate worse than death? "Hermione, you do realize that you're talking about taking revenge of the Minister of Britain, right?"

Hermione smirked playfully. "I know exactly what I'm talking about Mr. Potter. But we'll talk about that later. How about you explain to me why this house is looking so clean and put together?"

"Huh?" Harry grunted. "Oh. Oh yeah well…I'm actually going to live here when I turn seventeen. It is my house after all and Sirius wanted me to have it so I figured that I'd try to make it as much like a home as possible. I've got Dobby helping me. Well, actually he's pretty much doing it for me but I told him to please make the house livable and to remove any dark objects. Don't worry" he added quickly seeing the look on Hermione's face, "I'm going to pay him."

Hermione softened her glare somewhat. "So you're actually going to be living on your own? That's quite a responsibility Harry. Are you sure you're ready?"

"You sound like Mrs. Weasley. I'll be alright. It's not like I haven't practically been alone my entire life. I've never really had a real home. The Dursleys barely tolerated, let alone welcomed me. I've cooked and cleaned my entire life. I can handle living on my own. I think I might actually like it. It will keep me away from the media at any rate since the house is unplottable."

Hermione stared at Harry for a while. She looked as though she might have been contemplating something.

"So anyway," said Harry somewhat awkwardly, "now that I'm done freaking out on your shoulder what do you say we actually do what you wanted to do and hang out for a while? What would you like to do?"

Hermione looked Harry dead in the eye and offered a genuinely sweet smile before answering "How about we go swimming?"

-00-

By nightfall Harry knew he ought to be leaving soon. The Weasley's would be worried about him and he _had_ been with Hermione for the better part of nine hours. But it was just so darn peaceful sitting in the Granger's backyard. Even though the sun was almost completely gone for the day it was still nearly 85 degrees (AN: Fahrenheit, that's roughly 29 degrees Celsius for all you non-Americans) outside and there was a pleasurable breeze blowing.

Hermione had taken Harry to meet her parents and the pair had spent most of the day messing around in the Granger's in ground pool. Hermione's parents were not wealthy but they operated a profitable dental practice which afforded them the ability to live in great style. Harry was certain Uncle Vernon would have salivated at the chance to own a house as nice as the Grangers.

Dan and Emma granger were very welcoming toward Harry. They had, after all, been hearing about him from their daughter for the last six years and it was nice to finally have a face to go with the name. The swimming itself was a bit of an eye opening experience for Harry. He had never been to an actual swimming pool before so he wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Hermione had purchased Harry a pair of swimming shorts that Harry liked and while he waited out by the pool for her to come out she agonized over which of her swimsuits to wear.

Feeling bold, Hermione chose a blue bikini that covered about as much as a bra and pair of knickers would. She selected a dark blue wrap to tie around her waist so that she wouldn't immediately give Harry a show when she came out. Nevertheless, the sight of Hermione walking toward him in a bikini top and a flowing wrap literally took Harry's breath away.

Now, Harry was not blind. He had known that Hermione was an attractive girl ever since the Ball in fourth year. No one who saw her that night would ever deny that Hermione Granger was attractive. But Harry had never allowed himself to dwell on Hermione's growing beauty. He was her best friend and he had assumed that she had feelings, first for Viktor Krum, and then for Ron. Being an honorable man, Harry simply did not allow himself to fantasize about his beautiful best friend who had never given any sign that she was interested in him _that way._

It was not until this very moment however, that Harry Potter truly realized the definition of what the word 'hot' meant when applied to a female. But he understood it now; he definitely understood it now!

"Oh the sun feels wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed. "Are you ready?"

Ready? Was Harry ready? No he was not ready. His best friend was about to reveal more skin than she had ever revealed in front of any boy from Hogwarts and what was more, she was going to be wet besides. No, Harry was bloody well not ready! Nevertheless, Harry choked out "Y-yeah. Ready."

Hermione took off her wrap and smiled at Harry, turning away quickly to dive straight into the water. When she resurfaced moments later she called out playfully "Come on Harry, it's warm!"

"You bet it's warm," Harry muttered. The next seven hours were some of the most fun Harry had ever had in his life.

Bringing himself back to the present Harry sighed deeply. He really did not want to go back to the Burrow. It was peaceful here at the Grangers. He enjoyed being with Hermione just talking and acting like a kid. Hermione's presence had a way of calming him like no one else could. To leave that and go back to the Burrow where he might have to face Ron's jealousy or Molly's interfering made Harry feel sour. But it needed to be done. It was late and he really needed to be going.

"I should get going," Harry said to Hermione.

Hermione actually pouted. "But I've had so much fun with you today!"

"I know, so have I. With you, I mean. But the Weasleys will be worried and I am their guest right now. Maybe you and I can get together again soon. Hey," he said, struck by sudden inspiration. "Would you like to help me move in to Grimmauld Place on the 31st? I can cook you a dinner to break in the kitchen."

Hermione smiled widely. "Harry you don't have to do that. Of course I'll help you move your things in. But you don't have to cook for me."

"I want to cook for you though. You always help me with everything, like schoolwork and tournament tasks and illegal defense groups." The two teens shared a smirk. "And it's something I can do. I'm a good cook. The Dursleys always made me cook for them."

Hermione's smile vanished and was replaced by a look of regret. "Harry…I'm sorry you ever had to live with those awful people. I hope that your new home will bring you nothing but happy memories. Sirius notwithstanding. Make Grimmauld Place _your_ home not the home Sirius knew."

Harry's eyes found Hermione's and he took her hand in his. "I will Hermione. The first happy memory will be of me cooking dinner for you."

Together, they side-along apparated back to the Burrow where Harry bid Hermione goodnight. But Hermione stopped him.

"Harry?"

"Yeah?'

Hermione steeled herself. "I just want to tell you how much fun I had today and that I hope we can put last year behind us and be best friends again. I told you in my letter that I had some explaining to do and I still intend to do so. But we were having such a good time today. I didn't want to bring the mood down with that conversation. You don't mind do you?"

She looked at Harry anxiously, hoping that he would be understanding. Harry nodded slowly and gave her hand a little squeeze. "I don't mind. We can have that conversation another time. I'm just glad that we got to spend this time together today. It's been a long time since you and I just laughed together."

Hermione sighed softly. "Yes, it has." She looked down at their intertwined hands and turned faintly pink. "Well, I think I'll go now. Thank you for the amazing day Harry. Good night."

Hermione turned to begin her apparition as Harry uttered very softly "Good night."

-00-

Fifteen days later, July 31, 1997, Harry Potter came of age. The Weasleys threw him a big coming of age dinner that also served as his going away party. Harry took the opportunity to let the family know how much he appreciated all that they had done for him over the years. He gave Mrs. Weasley an enormous hug that she returned aggressively.

Arthur came from behind and clapped Harry on the back. "This is a big moment in your life. I know that compared to your usual big moments this might seem like nothing but becoming a man is a serious thing. You take care of yourself Harry. And know that you'll always be welcome here if ever you need to stay."

Harry smiled at the older man fondly. "Thank you Arthur. And thank you for being like a father to me." And he embraced Arthur too.

As it neared 8 p.m., the designated time of Harry's departure for his new home, Ron called Harry over into a private space. "What's up?" asked Harry.

"Listen Harry," Ron began. "I know that I've been kind of grouchy lately. I want you to know that I'm sorry for treating you that way. It's nothing against you personally. And I've decided to take your advice."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Oh?"

"You told me to either go for it with Hermione or not to bother at all. I've made my decision…And I've decided that you're right. I've been stringing Hermione along and I don't want to do that anymore. So I'm making the firm decision to just move on. Maybe I'll give it another shot with Lavender. But you don't have to worry about us anymore. I'm done."

Relief, sweet relief flooded over Harry at those words. No more hormonal tension. No more annoying questions from annoying students at annoying schools. No more awkward silences between the trio. In the words of Ice Cube: He had to say it was a good day!

"I'm glad to hear it," Harry replied. "And I hope it works out with you and whatever girl you choose to go for. And thank you Ron. Despite our differences you're still the first friend I ever had. Thank you for all you've done."

Ron shook his head. "Mate, you're a saint for putting up with me all these years. You're the best mate a guy could ask for." And the two young men embraced as well. Ron smirked.

"So this is it. You're going off on your own…don't be a stranger now."

Harry chuckled. "I'll still be going to Hogwarts in a month you know."

"Yeah but it's going to be different in a way. We're all adults now. Even though we're students it feels different, you know? And with You Know Wh-"

Ron paused under Harry's exasperated expression. "Oh alright" he said, finally giving in under the weight that Tom Riddle was finally dead, "With V-Voldemort gone it's going to feel strange. No more psycho dark lords trying to do you in!"

Harry laughed at that. "That's right; no more bloody dark lords. Let's just hope Lestrange and Malfoy don't show their ugly heads again."

"Even if they do you'll get 'em for us. Without their boss around I reckon they're pretty helpless."

"I certainly hope so," Harry said although he highly doubted that Bellatrix Lestrange could ever be considered helpless.

After a few moments' silence Harry said "Well, I guess I'll be off."

"Alright then."

And taking hold of his trunk which held all of his worldly possessions (except for Hedwig who had already flown off to Grimmauld Place hours ago) Harry apparated to London where he was greeted by the warm smile of Hermione Granger.

"You could have gone in you know," Harry said. He had given Hermione a spare key through Hedwig two days ago.

"I wanted you to be the first to cross the threshold. Did the Weasleys send you off in style?"

"They did actually. I wish you had been there but I guess I'm just being selfish. You're here now."

Hermione smiled indulgently. "I'll always be here Harry. But I'm afraid I'm just not ready to see the Weasleys right now."

Harry looked at her appraisingly. "It's about Ron isn't it?"

Hermione searched Harry's face for a few moments. Then she said "Possibly."

Harry nodded. "Let's go in," he said.

After setting down his trunk inside the doorway, Harry gazed around and was astonished at what he saw. In the eight days since his last trip here the house had undergone a further amazing transformation. Dobby had obviously worked overtime.

The floors had been entirely replaced with a polished wood and the candelabras that adorned the walls showed off a gleam and sparkle that the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black had surely not seen in several centuries.

"Blimey," Harry gasped.

"Harry, you're house is amazing!"

"I can barely recognize it."

Hermione walked cautiously around and immediately gasped. "Harry! You have to come see!"

Coming around to where she stood, Harry looked at the wall where once the portrait Sirius Black's screaming mother hung. In its place was a portrait of a young couple with a laughing baby. It was Harry's family.

"Oh Harry…it's beautiful."

Harry could not believe it. What had Dobby done to this place? Hermione turned to Harry excitedly. "We have to go look around! Harry, this place is just amazing! I _love_ your house!"

Harry couldn't help but grin at Hermione's childlike excitement. "We'll take a good look around Hermione. But first I have a meal to cook."

Hermione smirked slyly. "Oh that's right. And just what are you cooking for me Harry Potter?"

"I thought we might have a nice parmesan chicken."

"Oh, chicken parmesan?"

Harry shook his head. "No. Parmesan chicken. It's different from chicken parmesan. You'll like it."

And she did. She loved it. The crunchy flakes that covered the chicken were delicious and Hermione marveled at how skilled Harry was in the kitchen. She would have to make a habit of coming over to eat Harry's cooking!

"Mmm, Harry your food is amazing! I can't believe you're so good at this."

"Well I've been cooking since I was eight years old, so I've had quite a bit of practice."

Hermione frowned. "Those people made you cook for them when you were _eight years old_?" she asked, outraged.

Harry smiled grimly. "Hermione, I was a glorified slave when I lived with the Dursleys. I learned to do a lot of things at a young age. Cooking is just one of them."

Hermione felt a sharp burst of rage at those despicable people. How could they have been so cruel to such an innocent little boy?

"Harry," she said sharply. "You're an amazing man. Truly. You are the most amazing man I've ever met."

Harry blushed. "Wow. Um, thanks Hermione."

"Don't thank me. It needed to be said. I just hope you know that I'm going to be coming to visit you at least every other day now that you have your own place."

The look on her face told Harry that she was absolutely serious. "Hermione…What about Ron? What's the deal with you and him?" He asked this because he had to know. He already heard from Ron that he wasn't going to pursue her. But what was Hermione's view?

She sighed and then rolled her eyes. "There's nothing going on Harry. Ron is who Ron has always been. There's nothing happening between us…and there isn't going to be. I don't really want to talk about him right now. Can I just be happy here with you?"

Harry again blushed at the possible implication of those words but he chose not to address it. Instead he tried a different tact.

"Does it really make you happy, being here with me?"

Hermione looked at Harry with such a serious expression that he almost faltered under her gaze. Then she softened and said firmly and steadily "You always make me happy Harry. It just took me a while to realize that."

The pair let those words hang in the air for a while. Then Harry said "I'll always try to make you happy Hermione."

Hermione shot him a dazzling smile that left Harry momentarily speechless. "I know you will," was her simple response. "You're Harry Potter."

-00-

**AN**: A quick note: I've decided to slightly alter this story from my original vision, but not significantly. This will still be a slightly silly romance between Harry and Hermione. I have, however, decided to add a bit more drama. Why? Because I'm just not good at writing plain silly stories. With that said, I hope you enjoyed chapter three.

I've decided to turn Rufus Scrimgeour into a bit of a nemesis in this story. To me, it works well. Based on what we know of Scrimgeour from canon he was a smart politician who had a testy relationship with Harry. Since Scrimgeour isn't murdered in my story I've just decided to take his relationship with Harry and turn it up a notch from testy to confrontational. It's not that big of a leap.

So what did you think of the new chapter? Love it? Hate it? Drop a review and let me know. Take care!


End file.
